No More Turtle Head (or how to decompress your neck and upper back)

Next time at a pack of teenagers on their phones, you’ll notice their necks slumping forward. Ouch. Then go to a mirror and look at your own posture, double OUCH.  Regardless of our age or gender, living in the 21st-century means that we’re asked to multitask: phone calls, emails, meetings, working out, driving, being a partner, being a parent, cooking, meditate, detox, binge watch and many more demands. We’re often leaning our heads forward as we peer at our phone or the computer screens, which can be the cause of muscle strains, tension stiffness, compressed neck, disk herniation, spinal compression or a pinched nerve.  AND aesthetically speaking having one’s neck sticking out like a turtle’s head makes one look and feel slumpy and dumpy.    

Some of our current habits are compressing our upper back and shortening our neck.

Roll + Restore

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• Sitting for long periods of time: According to a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, not only has inactivity like sitting at a desk for long periods of the day been linked with diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, it can also increase the risk of certain cancers. Our human body evolved to move, stretch and breath, not to sit all day long.  Sitting for long periods slows down all our systems and decreases energy.   Not only do we sit at our desk (or at home watching TV) but we are hunched over our viewing devices, which causes the connective tissue to become “glued” into a slumped posture that actually damages and compresses your entire body.   Are constantly achy around your shoulders and neck?  This could very well be the cause.
• Phone usage: The average human head weighs about 10 pounds when held upright, but for every inch that your head is tilted forward, extra weight is added to your neck and spine. So guess what we are doing most of the time while trying to read our phones’ screen; we’re titling our head forward!  Additionally, if you make phone calls (Yes, a few of us still do), holding the phone in the crook of the neck, wedged against the shoulder can cause structural imbalances, tightening your fascia and shortening the neck, which can turn into all kind of  pain.  

As I said, our bodies aren’t designed to stay slumped and suffer the aches and pains of this forward posture, these are simple strategies that can help you battle the turtle-head epidemic:

• If you must sit for long periods of time, first and foremost sit up and avoid slump at all cost! Then every 20 minutes or so (set an alarm) Take deep-breath and roll your shoulders up and down and twist your neck from side. Then every hour (set an alarm) get up and move around. Go outside, and get some fresh air! This will encourage you to realign your body and posture.
• When using your phones and computers, choose the zoomed display on your phone to make the font bigger, try to avoid writing long messages from your phone, or lean back in your chair and hold the phone up to eye level so that you don’t pitch forward.  Avoid holding your phone to make phone calls, instead Try using a headset, speakerphone, or a hands-free set.
• Correct the damage done, a very effective way to do this is to stretch and massage the tight muscles along the back of your neck and well as strengthening the muscles at the front of the neck.  Correcting the turtle head starts with strengthening the core and upper back muscles Yoga and Bodymind Ballwork do wonders here!!!

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Sally, there is never a good time for your wellness evolution!

Many times we know we want to spring into action and yet we’re stopped by our own inability to act.  Take for example my student and friend, let’s call her "Sally."  Just the other day, Sally was telling me how she knows she needs to make some changes in her life to evolve into the better woman she knows she can be for herself and for others.

I love you, Sally.  

Sally tells me that she even knows what strategies to put in place to become who she wants to be:  She’s gonna do a detox to give her body the space it needs, she's gonna start her days with yoga because she knows yoga works!, she's gonna start talking more with her live-in boyfriend to smooth out all of their communication kinks, and she's gonna revamp her career (or if necessary look for a new job).  Sally got plans and goals, that much is clear.  But then she tells me she's waiting for her life to settle.  You see, Sally has a lot going on, she got some family situation which may affect her traveling schedule in the near future, she has a new boss at work and you know how that goes, she is experiencing a stomach thing that she hasn’t figured out quite yet, and the boyfriend communication thing, you know, makes things at home a bit tense right now.  

Oh, Sally, my heart is heavy for you, because that's a lot, I've been there and I hear you, you're waiting for the right time.  The time when the yogic detox will go smoothly, because who want to do a half-ass detox? You’re waiting for genuine motivation to do your yoga first thing in the morning, because one needs to show up authentically to the mat, right? You’re waiting for the right words to say to the boyfriend, because presentation is everything when it comes to we-have-to-talk moments, isn’t that what your therapist says?  You’re waiting to get clear on what you want from a career because your Dharma deserves an auspicious space, because isn’t that how Dharma works?

Well, this is what I told Sally. There’s never a good time for your wellness evolution.  “Shift” is always hitting the fan, specially when you’re ready to implement your perfect evolutionary plans.  You either sit in peace while the “shift” drips down your walls, making your life feel like a total hot mess or you begin to thoroughly, imperfectly execute your perfect strategy.  

This is what I know to be true, the Universe will meet you right where you’re at, so where do you want the Universe to meet you at?  

If like Sally, you know you need a yogic cleanse to get you started, please join the community Reboot + Reset I'm leading at Abhaya Yoga- DUMBO, get a full description of the reboot and register HERE.   Let your potential emerge this Fall, if you have been waiting for the right cleanse for you, this is it. 

Grieving Gracefully (or letting your body flow with your heartbreak

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“What we have once enjoyed we can never lose.  All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” — Helen Keller

Sometimes my brain can be quite literal like when I first heard my yoga teacher say “flow with grace,” I immediately slowed down on my mat and carefully considered how to place my arms and legs gracefully - you know, like a dancer.   Years later when I realized she was talking about Grace, you know, like the liberating energy from God, I felt a little dumb, but also grateful I’d taken it so literal before.  Every pose I slowed down to elegantly flow, I was being Grace-full.  I’ve learned that my body understands, feels and assimilates spiritual passages way before my brain does.  

Grace, as I’ve experienced it, is a river that flows towards the ocean of Divine Love. Its waters aren’t transparent and insipid, they contain life’s colors and flavors.  One of which is grief.

If you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one through death or a breakup, you know grief. If you’ve experience the loss of a career opportunity, you know grief. Heck, if you’ve experienced Trader Joe’s discontinuing your favorite product, you know grief.  Because, you see, if you’re human you’ve experienced and will continue to experience grief.

A thing I know about the river of Grace, and grief, is that it’s unstoppable. Sure you can intellectualize the situation: “he’s in a better place now,” “it wasn’t meant to be,” or “a better opportunity will come along.” However, grief is part of Grace and you need to let your whole be in it because your body will feel it, understand it and assimilate it before your mind can.

When you’re grieving, you’re gonna have to let the flow take your whole through the process.  

Sometime you get to step into the river slowly, like when a beloved is terminally ill.  You get a chance to adjust to the temperatures of the water and to prepare for the inevitable. Does it hurt? Yes.  Will your mind resist it by creating false hopes? Absolutely.  But eventually the river’s current will carry you.  

Sometimes you get thrown into the river, like suddenly losing a job or worse the sudden death of a beloved.  You get no chance to adjust. The moment you hit the water, it feels like you’re gonna drown. It’s messy. Will your mind resist it just the same? Yep. Will you fear that your body can’t handle it? For sure. But eventually you’ll adjust to the waters, you’ll begin to float and the river’s current will carry you.

This is what I know for sure, mental suffering is directly proportional to the resistance to the flow of Grace.

The only way to mitigate grief’s pain is to step into its current with the least amount of resistance. Sure you can learn techniques to cope with it, but don’t try to snap out of it. Do take care of your spirit, your mind and your body to the best of your abilities, but don’t attempt to cheer yourself up. Do hold on to your life-enhancing daily habits like floaties. But if you need to be in pain, be in pain. If you want to be moody, angry or sad, just be.  Honor the feelings flowing through your body knowing with full confidence that they will lead to the ocean of Divine Love.  

For my fellow caregivers, if you are around someone who is going through the process of grieving, as much as you want to stop their pain, don’t try to get them off the river. You can’t. You won’t.  Be a witness, and if you must throw a lifesaver,  offer your company, a hug, a prayer, a kind ear or warm meal, but let them grieve at their own rate. Know that this is you too flowing with Grace.

Caterpillar Soup or how a messy transition could be the path to a better you

“Through yoga, we’re not transforming into something we aspire to, we’re transforming into the very thing that we are innately: our best Self.”

— Rod Stryker

Did you know that when a caterpillar begins her transformation into a butterfly, she doesn’t just grow antennas and wings?  No, no, the caterpillar actually fully dissolves in some sort of cocoon-soup and it’s from this DNA-broth that the caterpillar’s cells will re-arrange into a butterfly.  

There is a clear message here, my friend, when things dissolve into a hot mess and it's hard to tell how things will re-arrange themselves, it's because a new, brighter, beginning is around the corner.

How many times have your life look like a hot butterfly soup?

I've had a few of those moments when everything around me had to liquefy to begin the metamorphosis of my better self.   One of those moments was when I moved to New York City.  I had to leave behind my very comfortable "young professional" lifestyle in the ever gorgeous Savannah, GA and listened to my soul call  towards a "soul-full hustler" lifestyle in NYC.  That was a rough lesson in what leisure is and  what disposable income means.  Through the few years of adjustment, when my mind was in agony and doubt, my surroundings and my heart opened in ways that I couldn't have imagined. How did I manage? Yoga helped, meditation helped, new friendships helped,  self-help books helped, it all helped!  

By the time my self-made lifestyle wings had emerged, I was a new man.  A more confident, kinder and more resourceful man emerged from that cocoon.

That's the thing with transformation, if we aren't practicing awareness, we'll miss the gorgeous colors of our new wings.  

I've learned to to recognize the signs and results of self evolution, to look with loving eyes those moments when things fall apart, and  to remember that when things fall apart is because they need a new foundation.  I’ve learned to LOVE these butterfly moments and, almost enjoy the effort it takes to unfold my new wings after each transformation. Yes, I'm saying almost because it feels like hell every time.

[ On a side note for those searching souls that want to quit it all and start anew:  Was my drastic lifestyle change useful in my Spiritual Evolution?  YES!  Was it necessary?  NO. There are less dramatic and less painful ways to grow new wings. If your caterpillar is feeling antsy, reach out for help.]  

*this content was inspired by a newsletter I sent in September 2015...a good example of how change is part of everything

Spring Clean Your Concept of Time or how to dismiss your time scarcity problems

Listen to this post instead - it's quick and more fun...

I don’t have five seconds to spare!

Is this what it’s come down to? I have to ask myself as I read a study suggesting that we, internet dwellers, tend to abandon downloading a file if it’s taking more than five seconds.  Five seconds! Quack, I remember having to walk 15 minutes to my aunt C’s home to consult her Encyclopedia Britannica just to finish my homework.  OK this makes me old, but it also tells me that if these days I don’t have five seconds to spare, there is something wrong with the way I’m living my life.

Why do we feel rushed? Why are we so busy? We got services and technologies to help us expedite almost anything from laundry to cooking.  Our technology is so advanced that we can almost instantly share documents, videos and pictures with anyone around the world.

So here is a truth, it isn’t about having less time, but how we perceive and use time.  

This quote from Albert Einstein illustrates the issue “an hour sitting with a pretty girl on a park bench passes like a minute, but a minute sitting on a hot stove seems like an hour.”

Perception is everything.

We’ve been taught that time is money, a fair equation considering that most of us get paid by the hour.  However in doing so we’ve also brought all our money issues and make them time issues.  How we use it, waste it, save it these are the thoughts that pollute our enjoyment of time.

Life is long if we know how to use it.  

If we’re constantly thinking about the scarcity of time, well, we’ll have a hard time finding time. So here is another truth, time isn’t money, it’s nothing more than the space between events.

This is my proposal for Spring cleaning, let’s invest time in those things that make us feel good.  Let’s dust off all those I-don’t-have-time excuses, we got time. Let’s pack away multitasking, we know that when we do one thing at a time, it gets done way faster and we have way more fun.  And let’s clean up our expectations of what we can get done in a day.

We’re going to look for abundance and we’re going to find her.  

As for the rest of the Spring Cleaning, we have a long life to get to it or as De Gracia wrote in 1965 “Lean back under a tree, put your arms behind your head,  smile and remember that the beginnings and ends of man’s every great enterprise are untidy.”

Kitchari your way into nourishment

Growing up in Panama, often enough my family will serve this soupy-mixture of beans and rice we call "guacho."  So when I was introduced via Ayurveda (Science of Longevity) to Kitchari, its texture was a homecoming to my senses and a blessing to my digestive system.  There are tons of Kitchari version available out there for Kitchari, but I've arrived at a version that works for me not only because it's easy to prepared but it has the consistency and flavors that I like.

Kitchari is basic to the Ayurvedic way of life, it's a balancing dish dating back thousands of years. Like many comfort foods, Kitchari is basically a one-pot dish, you make a big batch and eat several times.  The skillful use of spices and vegetables can produce balancing effects for your body and therein your mind and spirit.  Again, there many variations as there are reasons for each of them, I'm sharing my version.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup white Quinoa (you can substitute for basmati rice)
1 cup mung dal (split yellow) or red lentils (split)- peeled/split is important to save time.
6 cups (approx.) water
1/2 to 1 inch ginger root, chopped or grated (do not use ginger powder)
 Salt (1/4 tsp. or so, you can always add more later) 
2 tsp. ghee (you can substitute with coconut oil or olive oil)
1 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. turmeric powder

Because this makes a large pot from where I make several meals,  I don't mix vegetables in but as an option I add cooked vegetable later before eating the Kitchari, so that I can vary the flavors accordingly.   
 

Directions:

1- Wash quinoa and mung split beans (or red split lentils) and then soak overnight (at least 8 hours). Drain soak water and rinse thoroughly right before using.  Do not skip this step, it is supper important to prevent gas.

2- In a medium/largish non-stick saucepan warm the ghee. Add the ginger and sauté for one to two minutes. Add the rest of the spices mixing well till the whole kitchen smells gloriously.  Add quinoa and mung beans and sauté for another minute. Then add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil.

3- Once the kitchari has come to a boil reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until it is tender (approx. 30 minutes).    Remember this is the cooking time for peeled/split mung beans (or red lentils), if you are cooking whole beans do your research!

(Add more water if needed. Typically, kitchari is the consistency of a vegetable stew as opposed to a broth. A thinner consistency is preferable if your digestion is weak. You will notice that kitchari will thicken when it cools and you may need more water than you originally thought.)

You can garnish with fresh cilantro and add salt to taste (optional) if needed.  You can prepare your favorite vegetables and either mix in or top your kitchari with them before serving your meal.

Makes about 4 servings

Sip Your Way Into Digestive Comfort with CCF Tea

“CCF” stands for cumin, coriander, and fennel; three spices commonly used in ayurvedic remedies and cooking for their medicinal benefits. They combine in CCF tea as a perfectly balanced threesome that’s appropriate for all body types (which we call tridoshic in ayurveda; good for vata, pitta, or kapha).

Despite its simplicity, CCF tea is well-revered in ayurveda.  In Ayurveda your digestive fire defines how well is your body is operating and this tea is known to troubleshoot any issue with that fire.  Each of the three spices in CCF tea re-balance the digestive fire whether it’s too high, too low, or, well, in a funk.  These are the qualities of the three spices:

Cumin: When it comes to digestion, cumin is a wonder spice. It digests toxins, helps to absorb nutrients, and increases the digestive fire and metabolism.

Coriander: Coriander cools any kind of excess heat in the body including burning sensations and anger. It also cools and strengthens the urinary tract and cleanses the body’s subtle channels.

Fennel: This licorice-like seed is one of the best spices for re-balancing the digestive fire and metabolism. It’s great for relieving acidity, bloating, abdominal pains, and gas. Fennel is calming but at the same time promotes mental alertness.

Anytime I feel a little off in my digestion, I prepared this tea and sip it through the day.  This how to prepare it.

• In a jar mix equal amounts each of cumin, coriander, and fennel whole seeds. Do not try to substitute with the powder version- gross.  I just keep one jar with CCF seeds at home and one at the office. You can crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle to release their volatile oils or just toss them in whole.
• Bring one cups of water to a boil and then add one tea spoon of the mixture.  Let it steep for at least 8 minutes.  (you can make a bigger batch,  pour it into a thermos, seeds and all and sip the tea throughout the day, straining as you go - this is how I was recommended to do it anyway, but I prefer one cup at a time)

Next time you need a quick natural way for digestion troubles, try this fire starter/fire quencher and let me know how it goes.  Enjoy!

Vegetable Wedges with Creamy Cashew "Mayo"

This is one my easiest go-to recipes when I want a nutritive, healthy and rich-tasting meal.  I don't think I have to tell you how much your body will love you for eating veggies and the sauce I am calling "mayo" is made with cashew nuts which list among its benefits obtaining a healthy heart, healthy hair, healthy nervous system and it even prevents cancer.  The most important part is that the mixture of  sweet flavors of  beets & carrots with the zesty of the "mayo" makes this dish incredibly satisfying.

These are the ingredients

• 5 medium carrots, each cut into thick wedges

• 2 large beets, cut into similar sized wedges with the tops discarded

• 2 hands full of raw cashews (or 3 heaping tablespoons cashew butter if you don't have a food processor)

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper

• 1/4 cup fresh mint (or 1 tablespoons dried)

• Sea salt and fresh black pepper

This is what you do

1. Steam the carrot and beet wedges in a steaming basket until tender (roughly 15-20 minutes depending on size and water temperature).  Keep an eye on the evaporating water.

2. Drain and place in a bowl to cool.

3. In a food processor begin to create the "mayo" sauce by adding the cashews with a little bit of olive oil and pulse your processor till you begin to cream the cashews.  Add more cashews and olive oil till you create a mayonnaise consistency.

4. Then mix together these creamy mixture withe the water and red peeper and half the mint. Season with salt and black pepper.

5. Pour over the carrot and beet wedges and add additional fresh mint to garnish, and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.

Serves four (or two hungry yogis).  Enjoy

Basic Broccoli & Arugula Soup

I see every dinner as an opportunity to give my body a break, a daily "detox" if you may.  After all, the human body is designed to eat it's biggest meal in the middle of the day so having a light dinner is a nice thing to do for the body's operating system (if you don't think that breaking this biological rule affects your body, you are either in denial or you are a mutant - I am cool with either scenario).

This basic broccoli soup is a bit more sassy by staring it with a sofrito and adding the always peppery arugula. 

This is what you need (for two servings)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced (or shallot if you can't do garlic like me)

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 head broccoli, cut into small florets (about 2/3 Lb)

2 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon each coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup arugula 

1/2 lemon

This is what you do

1- Heat the olive oil in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat.

2- Add the garlic and onion and sauté for just a minute or two or till you smell and hear the happy sounds of the sofrito

3- Add the broccoli and cook for four minutes or until bright green.

4- Add the water, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Cook for eight minutes or until the broccoli is just tender.

5 Pour the soup into a blender and puree with the arugula until quite smooth.  Be very careful when blending, you don’t want the steam to blow the lid off and make sure you have the lid on!

I like serving soup with a little lemon juice.  Enjoy.

Freedom Scones (back with a vengeance)

** I originally published this recipe Six Years Ago!  I can't believe it has been that long.  I love the freedom scones then and I love them now.   With all the turmoil going around, I feel its a good time to bring them back to my holiday baking repertoire.

I called these decadent biscuit-like treasures, freedom scones, because all the ingredients break the prison of lethargy that other sweets tend to build around my day.  I find that a cup of hot herbal tea is the perfect companion to them (yes, I always have more than one, if you try them you will know why).

I adapted this recipe from Jenny Nelson' Clean Eat, but quite frankly the scones are so good, it makes me feel a bit dirty eating them, and preparing them is a fun mess, totally worth it.  These guys are vegetarian, vegan and delicious.

These are the ingredients that you need

3/4 cup coconut oil + 1 teaspoon for greasing the baking sheet...don't try to substitute this with other natural oil,  coconut is the one that make this work, also measured the oil in liquid form (~77 F)

1/4 cup water

1 cup of coconut oil

1/2 cup of dates, pitted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup gluten free all purpose flour +1 tablespoon gluten free flour (for dusting)

Pinch sea salt

2 oz organic dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (you could skip this, I guess, but WHY?)

1/2 cup raw, organic walnuts, coarsely chopped (I have used other nuts, but the bitter taste of walnuts make them my favorite)

This is what you do

Preheat oven to 350 F (you can place the jar with coconut oil near the oven and that helps melt the oil)

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, mash the dates until you have a thick paste and set aside.  Add melted coconut oil to date paste with vanilla and water.  Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Dough should hold together. It may stay a bit runny, when this happens, I place the dough in the refrigerator for five minutes to make it easier to handle.

Form the dough into a round and place on a lightly floured (leftover dash of gluten free flour from above) surface and cut in half. Roll each half into another round. Cut one of the rounds in half and then cut each half into thirds and repeat with the second round so you have 12 wedges - it is OK if wedges are messy, it will taste just as good.
Lightly grease a baking or cookie sheet with the coconut oil and place the wedges in the oven for 14-16 minutes (rotating the pan after 8 minutes).    Let them cool as the chocolate will be too hot to enjoy - trust me on this one.

Namaste

Using Lifestyle Engineering to Buy Healthier Food

Most people think that building better choices, creating healthy habits or changing your actions is all about willpower or motivation. But from all my years of helping folks organize their spaces and their bodies, AND all my years of studying yoga, human mind and anatomy, I believe that the number one driver of behavior change (or at least the easiest to access) is our physical world.

Our environment has an incredible ability to shape our actions and choices. Nowhere is this more true than with food. What we eat on a daily basis is often a result of what we see.  If you are anything like me, you will buy or eat whatever is closer to you, whether it’s wholesome food or not.  So to eat healthy food a good reverse-engineering is to surround yourself or hang out with healthy food.

When I go to my local grocery store (which I must say it’s a gigantic emporium of Portuguese & South American food), I walk around the outer periphery of the market.  This is true to every supermarket around the world I have ever been, the outer periphery is where the healthy food usually lives: fruits, vegetables, eggs, nuts, lean meats.  Basically all items that are usually not processed and healthier for you.  So shopping on the outer periphery is what I am “choosing” to eat, because it is what I see.    

Architecture determines where things go, since electric outlets for massive refrigeration are usually on a wall and so are the building´s drains.  That means that the middle aisles are where all of the caned,  boxed and adulterated stuff is placed -they, more likely don´t need refrigeration.  If you don’t want to eat or you want to cut back in processed-food consumption, don’t go down those middle aisles and you won’t buy those foods. If you don’t buy those foods, they won’t end up around for you to eat. Try this the next time you go to the store and do your best to not make exceptions.  When I do this not only I spend way less money in my groceries, but I find myself cooking and eating healthier = feeling great in my body and mind.

Sure, there will be the occasional time that you’ll need to go down an aisle to pick up your oils, spices or honey but that will be rare and not often. It could be weeks before I go into those middle aisles ( but when I do I always pick more than what I intended to buy, which confirms that knowing of something isn’t as effective as doing something- smile )

Get Siri to work! or Save Time in Setting Timers/Alarms

I don’t know about you, but once I open my iPhone to perform the simplest of tasks, I fall into a virtual world from where there is no escape.  A world where time stops and I can’t tell you how much time has elapsed from when I entered my passcode and when find myself looking at a picture of my favorite florist in Madrid on Instagram WHEN all I wanted to do was check on the weather. If you think that your phone or tablet is eating away your precious time, we are turning that around today.

Helping my client set up her “virtual home companion,” ALEXA; I was reading all the uses in the kitchen that such device could assist with (i.e., setting timers so you don’t burn your food)- which lead me to realize that my own iPhone has a “mobile assistant:” the legendary, Siri.  Well, Siri may have been resting on her laurels all these years, but no longer, no Ma’m.  I put her to work almost a year ago, and she is tireless and her help is invaluable to me these days.  One of the best uses I would like to share as a Lifestyle Engineer is how to use Siri to set alarms and timers which we know allow you to become more efficient and effective in your daily life. Siri ties right into the iOS Clock app on your iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad 4, iPad mini, and iPod touch 5 -and your desktop too, now that I think about it- which means if you want to go to bed at 10 pm or be woken up at 6 am, have a timer set for 10 minutes so the cookies don't burn, or find out what the hour is in Paris before you call, Siri can keep you alerted and on time. 

[If you don’t have an Apple product, you could use the same technology with your equivalent mobile assistant]

Here is the basic instructions:

How to set a timer with Siri

Whether you're waiting for your veggies to bake, meditating or your next set of circuit training to begin, Siri can make sure you always alerted at exactly the right time.

1. Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.

2. Tell Siri to set the timer, and for how long. For example: "Set a timer for 10 minutes".

3. The Timer widget will remain visible on your screen until the timer goes off, or you leave Siri. Tap the timer widget to launch the Clock app and access the manual controls.

Note: Siri can only run one timer at a time. If you try to set another, Siri will ask you if you want to keep the current one or change to the new one. (Amazon’s ALEXA doesn’t have this issue, you hear that, Siri?)

How to set an alarm with Siri

Siri can set alarms quickly and easily.

1. Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.

2. Tell Siri to set an alarm, along with the time. For example: "Set an alarm for 8pm", "Set an alarm for 5 minutes from now", "wake me up at 9am".

Siri will display the alarm widget on the screen. If you change your mind about the alarm, you can simply toggle it to "off". You can also tap the widget to be taken to the Clock app.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, go forth and YouTube away the infinite ways you can be assisted by your "mobile assistant."  Get pampered by technology, I encourage you!